Life Seal

The runes still in operation had slowed to an extreme crawl; each revolution took several breaths.

Some runes suddenly burst apart as they turned, without even a chance to struggle.

The shattered runes became tiny motes of light, flashing once in the darkness before vanishing.

Through those cracks, they could even see what lay within the seal.

A colossal eye flickered in and out of sight within the darkness.

That eye was even more violent than it had been three months ago. Its eyelid kept twitching, and with every twitch, fresh abyssal power surged from its pupil and battered the seal.

The scarlet within the pupil was no longer a steady glow. It was like boiling magma, roiling and bursting across the surface of the eyeball.

Countless scenes were reflected in the depths of that pupil.

Those scenes were no longer vague shadows; they were clear enough for every face to be seen distinctly.

Cultivators screamed, mortals wept, children struggled.

Among those faces were even some Chu Ming recognized.

Sword Sect disciples.

War Pavilion warriors.

Sailors of the Star Sea Chamber of Commerce.

Darkness coiled around them, swallowing them bit by bit.

Venerable Dragonbone and the other six sat cross-legged before the curtain of light.

Their postures had changed. They were no longer sitting upright, but leaning crookedly against one another.

Of Venerable Dragonbone's nine dragon phantoms, only one remained. Even that dragon shadow was so dim it was nearly invisible, like a wisp of smoke about to disperse.

His battle armor was covered in cracks, dark golden blood seeping from them.

His eyes were half-open, half-closed, his eyelids trembling faintly as though resisting an exhaustion that could not be resisted.

Jian Wuxin's longsword was embedded in the void before him, and all light on its blade had gone out.